Who Is Sheikh Mustafa?
Sheikh Mustafa Haji Ismail Harun is indeed a highly esteemed Islamic scholar, particularly revered among the Somali people in the Horn of Africa and beyond. He was born in the rural areas of Burao, Togdher in 1950s though his family lived Aden, Yemen. It is noted that whenever his mother was pregnant, she would return home to give birth. He hails from a religious family, with his father and several grandparents being sheikhs, as he has mentioned.
He took his primary education in Burao, where he also graduated from a technical institute in the town at that time. Mustafa received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Somali National University in 1980. He learned Islamic studies from the sheikhs in the country. Following his graduation from the university, Sheikh Mustafa worked as a teacher at Burao’s Technical School, where he had previously been a student. However, just a year and a half later, he was repeatedly imprisoned by the Somali military regime. Reflecting on this difficult period, he mentioned, “I was imprisoned in various places such as police station, military base, jails, intelligence agency’s secret prisons, and others for years”. Yet he never complains to anybody.
He left Somalia around 1988 when many of Ethiopia-backed Somali fronts and the Somali government were fighting. He went to Europe for family affairs. The government collapsed while he was still in Europe.
Mustafa discovered that many Somali diasporas in Europe lacked knowledge about Islamic teachings. To address this, he began preaching to them in a restaurant in Norway once in every two weeks. A group of young individuals recorded his religious speeches via VHS cassettes and made hundreds of copies. Because of his humility, he did not want such recordings, but the group explained that they did this to help cover the rent of the Somali community’s mosque in that city. Since then, the recordings of Sheikh Mustafa’s religious speeches have been widely distributed in areas where Somali communities reside
Sheikh Mustafa possesses a deep understanding of Islamic teachings derived from sources such as the Qur’an, the Sunnah (traditions of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him), Ijma, and Qiyas. Additionally, he has a broad knowledge of secular subjects including history, sociology, psychology, management science, leadership, governance, conflict resolution, science, engineering, and more. His diverse knowledge is truly unique
Almost a decade after leaving Somalia, Sheikh Mustafa returned home and settled in Hargeisa, but he travels extensively. He visits numerous countries across all five continents to deliver Islamic lectures. Wherever he goes, the size of the audience exceeds the capacity of the venue. He is known as an educator, humble, quiet, friendly, and eloquent speaker
He has a family and children. During his speeches, he occasionally mentions how supportive and wonderful his wife is. In a light-hearted moment, he jokingly remarked, “You may only know Mustafa who stands before you to preach, but behind me, there is a woman who has provided me with everything and helped shape me into who I am today.”
He is indeed described as a walking dictionary, possessing a wealth of knowledge, and is beloved by many who aspire to meet him in person.
Disclaimer! Mustafa’s private life remains undisclosed as he does not grant interviews to radios, TVs, YouTubers, or similar media outlets. The information shared about him is solely gathered from his speeches.
Hamza Yassin
